Umbrella.



F. BENZ, SE.

UMBRELLA. APPLiGATION'I'II-ED OCT; 10, 19 08.

Patented Jan. 25,1910.

' lwihwmea FRED BENZ, SR., OF PA'IERSON, NEW JERSEY.

UMBRELLA.

cancer.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED BENZ, Sr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in umbrellas and is moreparticularly directed to a construction adapted to provide a runner andnotch designed to obviate the objection incident to the ordinary form ofsuch parts.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of aconstruction permitting the formation of the runner or notch in whichthe ribs and stretchers are securely held without the use of the usualwire and without the usual weakening of such ribs and stretchersincident to the usual connection.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in elevation partly in section illustratingmyimprovement. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the locking member. Fig. 3 is aplan of the same.

The present improvement is directed to a construction designed to form anotch A or runner B of an umbrella. The parts included in theconstruction are a collar member 1 and a fixing or locking member 2,both of which may be of any material or in any appropriate size. Acollar member comprises a sleeve-like section 3 designed to encircle theumbrella rod 4:, one end of the sleeve being formed with a laterallyextending flange 5. The locking member is of approximately conicalformation having a central bore whereby said member is adapted to fitthe umbrella rod, the flaring or larger end of the member is interiorlycored out for a portion of its depth to leave a thin shell 6, whichshell is longitudinally divided by a series of depressions 7 whichdepressions are approximately of equal width throughout their length andopen through the free edge of the shell, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and3.

For use with the improved notch and run ner the ends of the ribs 8 andstretchers 9 designed to cooperate with the notch and runner arelaterally curved and formed with terminal ball ends 10, that portion ofthe rib or stretchers included in the curved sec- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filedOctober 10, 1908.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 457,077.

tion having a thickness approximately corresponding with the width ofthe depression 7, while the ball end has a diameter exceeding the widthof the depression. In securing the parts in position as a notch thecollar is secured in proper place on the rod by a transverse pin 11, theholding member being then slidably applied on the rod and moved into aposition adjacent the flange 5 on the collar, the notched end of thelocking member being arranged next the flange. The ribs 8 are thenapplied by inserting the respective ribs in the respective depressions,after which the locking member is moved so that the open ends of thedepressions are closed by the flange of the collar, said looking memberbeing secured in this position by a pin 12 passed transversely throughsaid member and the rod. The s1de walls of the depression 7 thus guidethe ribs in movement in the opening and closing of the umbrella, theball endsof the ribs effectively preventing displacement of said ribsunder any usual strain to which the parts may be subjected.

In the use of the parts to form a runner the collar is applied inposition on the rod and the locking member is arranged above and inproximity to the collar, the notched end of said member being arrangedtoward the flange of the collar. The ball ends of the st-retohers aresecured in the respective notches of the locking member after which saidmember and collar are secured together by pins or rivets 13 passedthrough the free edges of the shell sections formed by the notches 7 andtaking into the edge of the flange 5. The notch and runner differ,therefore, only that in the former both the collar and locking memberare secured directly to the rod, while in the latter the collar andlocking member are secured together in a manner to avoid interferencewith the necessary sliding movement of the runner.

The sleeve 3 of the collar forming the runner is provided with anaperture let to receive the locking catch 15 of the umbrella rod,whereby the umbrella may be held in elevated or closed position in theusual manner. To prevent any possibility of water finding its way intothe shell of the locking member forming the notch and remaining therewith the result of rusting the parts 1 form the hollow umbrella rod inpart in alinement with the shell section of the looking member withopenings 16, and also adjacent the ferrule end of the rod I form thewall with an outlet opening 17. Any water finding its way into the shellof the locking member will thus be discharged through the hollow rod andout through the opening 17.

As a protection for the umbrella cover I secure about the sleeve 3 ofthe collar forming the notch and immediately over the flange 5 of saidcollar a disk-like protector 18, preferably constructed of rubber orsimilar waterproof material, having a diameter exceeding that of theflange, and when the parts are in applied position bearing snuglyagainst the flange. This protector remains inside the umbrella betweenthe metallic parts and the cover so that if the umbrella is closed whilewet the dampness of the cloth will not affect the metal with thepossibility of deterioration of the cloth. Furthermore, if by anyaccidental displacement one of the ribs should contact with theprotector the material thereof will act to prevent the end of said ribfrom piercing the cover proper.

The improvement as described provides a simple and effective means forsecuring the ribs and stretchers in place in a manner to practicallyprevent the possibility of their becoming displaced. This result isgained primarily from the fact that by the fastenin described the ribsand stretchers are not rec uced as in the ordinary connection, by whichreduction the parts are weakened and more liable to rupture in use.Furthermore, the parts are particularly adapted for refitting a brokenrib with ease and certainty, as will be understood.

The material of which the novel parts herein described are constructedis not im portant, as I contemplate the use of any material which willprovide the desired strength and rigidity.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. An umbrella structure including a rod, a notch secured thereon andcomprising a collar member and a locking member including a sleeveextension, a cap piece encircling and secured to the sleeve extension,and an independent protecting disk encircling the sleeve extension belowthe cap piece.

2. An umbrella structure including a rod, a notch secured thereonincluding a collar member and a locking member, said collar member beingformed with a disk end and a sleeve extending above the disk andencircling the rod, a cap piece secured on the sleeve, and a flexibleprotecting disk encircling the sleeve between the cap piece and the diskof the collar member.

3. An umbrella notch comprising a collar member and a locking member,said locking member being formed with a series of spaced concentricallydisposed sections between which the rib ends are adapted to be inserted,a collar member including a sleeve to encircle the umbrella rod, and adisk end having a diameter equaling the diameter of the upper end of thelocking member, whereby when said locking member and collar are in placethe disk engages the free ends of the sections to prevent displacementof the rib ends, the corresponding diameter of the disk and coacting endof the locking member avoiding projection beyond the outer surfaces ofthe sections of the locking member.

4. An umbrella runner comprising a conical locking member adapted forsliding movement on the umbrella rod, said locking member being formedwith a plurality of spaced sections to provide stretcher receivingnotches between them, a collar member having a disk end of a diametercorresponding to the interior diameter of the locking member, wherebysaid disk in the connection of the parts is designed to seat within thefree ends of the sections, and means for se curing each section to theedge of the disk.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED BENZ, SR.

Witnesses IsAAo I-I. GARRABRANT, EDWARD MoI-IRLE.

